Fusible strut



J. DAWSON.

FUSIBLE STRUT. APPLICATION man MAY 24. 1919.

1,342,203. l PatentedrJue 1, 1920.

J6 lNvENToR:

arromysvl UNITED sTATEs JOSIAI-I DAWSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE vGLOBE'.

AUTOMATIC SPR-INKLER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

FUSIBLE sTRUT.

`Speeiication of Letters Patent.

Iatented June l, 1920.

Application filed. May 24, 1919. Serial No. 299,617.

To all whom it may concern: v Beit known that I, JosIAH DAWSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Philadelphia, county of Philadelerable, position during very long periods of time without being Subj ect to premature action; to provide in an automatic sprinkler'r an improved novel and useful strut for re- Y taining the sprinkler in closed condition, and to provide such other improvements as may vmore fully hereinafter appear.

In the strut and link structures heretofore used in sprinkler heads, it will be found that Athe strut parts are so constructed that there is a continual tendency to separate the saine from vthe fusible material used to 'normally maintain them in normally inoperative position. In all Vof these structures the force tending to separate the strut elements continually acts to shear or tear the fusible material or the solder utilized to bind lthe parts together, and it frequently occurs that a sprinkler head will operate prematurely due to the actioncalled creeping or coldflow of the fusible material. Various structures have been constructed in the attempt arrangements whereby Aa small component,

only, ofthe total force applied, directly acts upon the parts secured `together by the vfusible material. In so doing it has been found,

however, that the amount of the total force applied must be limitedand, moreover, lthe reduction of such force, through ,thecomplicated lever arrangements used, very often lact to impede or prevent as quickan operation as might be desired. l

My invention, therefore, comprehends the idea of placing the parts of the strut under a much greater compression or stress than 'K usual whereby the movable elements or parts will have a larger amount of stored elastic energy, which, when the strut operates, gives such parts a more sudden or snappy action, very much 1n the nature of an explosion.

To accomplish the above mentioned obi jects and to avoid the above mentioned defects, my invention also comprehends the idea of using a quantity of fusible materia] normally placed under compression rather than under tension, as has always heretofore been theA case. By such an arrangement, wherein the fusible material is undercompression, the disadvantages or objections that usually arise under a creeping or cold-How action of the fusible material have been totally overcome or avoided.` As a consequence, I also have been able to so proportion the leverage of the strut components so that a considerably greater force or a greater component of the total force applied to the strut structure may be utilizedl with a result of amore sudden and sensitive action of the strut.-

In the accompanying drawing` in which I illustrate a fewV embodiments of my invenp tion 'Figure l is a vertical elevation of a sprinkler head provided with a strut structure embodying my invention, with4 a portion of the yoke broken tomore clearly show the relation of the parts; A

' Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the strut arrangement; f

- Fig. 3 is a top plan view of thestrut structure with a portion brolmnaway to more clearly show the relation ofthe parts;

Fig.. 4 is a side elevation of the strut structure-showing the position of the parts Y of the strut` when in theact of operating;

Fig. yis a vertical elevation of a modification of the strut shown in Figs. llto 4El inclusive;

Figs. 6 and 7 are each Vfurther modifications ofv my invention. 5 Y

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the strut arrangement, in the preferred form, illustrated in Figs. 1 to iinclusive, may be mounted in a sprinkler head structure, of any suitable type, provided with the threaded nipple ld'to yan end 'of lwhich are integrally formed lthe yokes 2 the latter being formed integrally at theends thereof with a screw socket 3 through which may be adjustably threaded a compression screw 4. l This screw may Ybe provided at I one end thereof with a permanently secured deflector 5 and vat the otherV end thereof with a conical abutment 6. The sprinkler head may be provided with'a closure cap 7 upon the top of which may be provided a second conical abutment 8, both of said abutments being coaxial and directed toward each other.

The strut structure comprises an L-shaped member 9 with the limbs 10 and 11 thereof disposed at an angle of substantially 90O with the limb 1() in horizontal and limb 11 'invertical'disposition as viewed in Figs. 1

to 4 inclusive. The lower end of the vertical limb 11, adjacent its juncture with the horizontal limb 10, is provided with a conical recess or socket 12 Within which the conical abutment 8 of the closure cap 7 is adapted to seat while the upper portion of the limb 11 is laterally bent and is suitably provided at its terminal with a rounded end 13 to form a fulcrum for the obliquely disposed lever 14. The latter is provided at its Y upper end, beyond the fulcrum point 13,

with a conical recess or socket 15 in which the abutment member 6 is adapted to seat.

The lower end of the lever 14 contacts with a lateral face of and near one end of a lever member 16 hereinafter more fully described. l

The lower or horizontal limb 10 of the angle member 9 is provided at its free end with an upwardly extending flange 17 the upper edge of which is laterally bent and rounded to form a fulcrum for the lever member 16.V

Upon the horizontal limb 10 normally rests a thrust member 19 which is adapted r.toV slide horizontally longitudinally over the horizontal surface of the limb 10. This thrust member is provided with an upwardly extending flanged portion 20 bethe end 25 of the thrust memberv 19. These j ends may be tongued and notched whereby lateral'relative movement therebetween may be prevented when the parts are in assembled position. may also be provided with an upwardly eX- ftending projection 26 -which may be suit' ably formed by indenting the member 10 in j any suitable manner. This projection 26 is adapted to fit within an indentation or re! cess 27 formed in the thrust member 19. By

, these means, when the parts are assembled, the member 19 may be placed upon the member 10 so that the depression 27 shall register or fit with the projection 26 for vthe proper locating of said parts and vthen by The horizontal member 10 placing the lever 16 so that the tongue 28 Yof the member 19 will lit within the notch 29 of the lever 16 the latter may be brought to position to fit within the angle formed by the member 10 and the upstanding member 17 with the portion 22 in bearing relation to the fulcrum 18, at which time the fusible material 21 may be applied into place between the flange 2O andthe lower portion of member 11. It will be observed that solder or other fusible material also may be placed between the contacting surface of the members 10, 19 and 16 as well as built around the edges thereof in a manner well known in this art. The member 11 also may be suitably ribbed at 30 to strengthen the same, as

well as for offsetting the lower end thereof for including the socket 12 in proper relation to the abutment 8. The fusible material may be fused or built into place so as to form an adhering or cohering block between the flange 19 and the member 11..

It will be noted that the fulcrum 13 is y j force so received by the member 11 is delivered at the fulcrum 13 with the tendency 'to cause a rotation of the lever 14 about such fulcrum with the end 31 of said lever` pressing against the lock lever 16, the upward movement of the lever 14 being normally restrained by reason of its contact with the Vupper end of said lever member 16.

The force applied at the point of contact between the end 31 and the upper' end of Y lever 16 tends to rotate the lever 16 about the fulcrum 18. Such movement is restrained, however, by reason of the thrust memberV 19 contacting with the end 24 of the lever 16 at one end thereof and abutting against the fusible material 21 at the other end thereof. The tendency of the lever 16 to rotate about the fulcrum 18, which, in the structure'as shown in Fig. 1, is clockwise, also tends to cause the end 24 to move toward the left, as viewed in the same'figure. This latter tendency 'of movement acts to horizontally force Vthe member` 19 also to the left against the fusible material 21.

It may be seen from the above that when the temperature of the atmosphere jin the vicinity of a sprinkler head provided with my improved strut structure, attains .a temperature suflicient to melt or fuse the fusible material 21, the force applied through the levers described above will be effective to cause the end of the lever 14 to rotate the lever 16 about the fulcrum 18 with the incidental movement of the end 24 against the endv 25 of the thrust member 19 so that the thrust member will move longitudinally 'lto the left, as viewed 'in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. Such movement of the latter will lfirst cause such member to rise over the projection 26. The end 24 will be adapted to simultaneously `swing upwardly, and to ya certain extent, slide over the -end 25 to ya disengaging position, as is show-n in Fig. 4, at 'which time "the -end 31 is lcapable of `disengagi-ng from the upper end of the lever 16 and to freely separate therefrom. Until the end 31 disengages from v'the lever 16 the parts are all under substantially fullcompression stress and the instant when these parts disengage the elastic energy stored therein acts very suddenly and violently to widely separate and scatter 4the strut elements.

In the form of deviceshown in Fig. 51the Aarrangement is similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, with the exception that the lever arrangement'16 corresponding 'to 16 vof the preferred embodiment is a lrelatively straight lever with the lower end 24 thereof in lateral abutting contact with 'the end 25 of the 4thrust member 19', vthe' latter being, as may be observed, longerthan the member 19 of the preferred structure.`

In the operationof this vdevice the end 31 of the lever 14 operates to force the upper end of the lever 16 to the right, as shown in Fig. 5, about the fulcrum 18 resulting in a movement of the end 24 to the left, as

` viewed in Fig. 5, to longitudinally move the member 19 toward the fusibleV material 21 ,which upon fusing will permit lthe movement-ofthe thrust member 19 andthe turning ofthe lever member 16 to permit the end 31 `to clear therefrom and the flying apart of the strut elements.

In the form of device shown in Fig. 6, the lever member 14 is provided with a depending end 31 in which is provided a slot 32. Through the latter projects the end 33 of a thrust member 34. The upstanding end 17 instead of being provided with a fulcrum member` corresponding to 18 of the form shown in Figs. 1 and 5 is provided with a slot 35 through which also projects the stem 33 of the member 34. The member 34 is bent so as to inclose therein a rectangular space which may be filled with fusible material 21. This member 34 also projects vertically through an opening 36 and is provided beneath the horizontal arm 10 of the angle member 9 with a horizontal leg 37 lying adjacent to the under surface of the member 10. This leg portion may be provided with a `projection 38 adapted to normally fit in the aperture 39 provided in the member 10. This projection 38 is for the purpose of locating the proper position of the member 34 when the parts are being assembled by the mechanic, and also incidentally acts as anoutlet for the fusible material when in melted condition.

In operation the end 31 of the lever member 14 presses upwardly against the stem 33 tending to rock or rotate the member 34 about lthe upper edge 39 of the slot 35 as a fulcrum thereby causing the ymember '34 to press downwardly upon'the fusible material when lthe latter fuses, .the member 34 is adapted to move under the inlence of lever 14, the projection 38 having no effect upon such movement. As soon as the member 34 has sufficiently moved to permit the stem 33 to riseto a point where the end 31 can no longer engage the same,` the lever 14 will suddenly separate therefrom land the strut yparts fly apart.

In the `'structure shown in Fig. '7 the memberll is provided with a slot 40 near the lowerend oflsaid member throughw-hich may horizontally proj-ect an end of the the indentation projection 42 and recess l43 for the purpose of kpositioning the yparts in the assembling lthereof in the factory when the fusible block material 21 is applied.

vIn operation the end 31 of the lever 14 pressing against the portion'16 will, upon the fusing of the-material 21, move the member 19 to the right, as viewed'in'Fig. 7 ,to such an extentlthatv as -theend isswung upwardly it will clear from the end 16 and consequently permitthe flying apart of the strut arrangement. Y While I have shown a preferred embodi# ment of my invention in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, with a few modied structures, als shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, I wish it to be understood that I do not consider my invention necessarily limited to the particular details of the devices so illustrated and described by that my invention comprehends all structures, whether struts or links, of any type Whatever operating upon the principle of compressing the fusible medium rather than applying a tension or shearing force thereto, prior to or during the operation thereof, as do not depart from the spirit of my invention and the scope of the pending claims:

Having thus disclosed my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters n vtween said thrust member and another of said levers, whereby said fusible member is normally placed under compression.

2. In a fusible strut comprising an L- shaped member, a leverv fulcrumed upon an end of 'said member, a second lever fulcrumed upon the other end of said member and engaged by said rst mentioned lever, a thrust member in contact at an end thereof withsaid second mentioned lever and fusible material interposed between the other end of said thrust member and saidrL-shaped member, whereby said first mentioned lever tends to move said 'second mentioned lever to press said thrust member againstV said fusible material.y Y l 3. In a sprinkler head, the combination of a pair of levers, fulcrumed one upon the other, a third lever operativelyV connectedV material normally restraining the movement of said levers and said thrust member, a positioning-projection formed in one of said levers and in said thrustmember, whereby relative position of said members may be 'properly determined in assembling said structures. Y f

V5. A strut or linkstructure comprising mentioned lever for normally restraining the separation of said levers.

6. A supporting structure comprising re- Y silient members and a longitudinally movable thrust member placed under abnormally thrust member tend to separate, said thrust member provided with a surface of substantial area at one end thereof and a lever engaging portion at the other Vend thereof and fusible material located between Asaid surface and one of said levers and placed Vhigh stress whereby said levers and said Y under compression by said levers and said thrust member for normally restraining the separation of said levers and said thrust memben 7. A strut or link structure comprising levers placed under an abnormally high stress whereby said levers tend to separate and a restraining means comprising a thrust member supported by one of said levers and adapted to bemoved longitudinally thereof by another of said levers and-fusible material placedunder compression between said thrustrmember and one of said levers for normally restraining'the separation of said levers.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal this 22nd day of May, 1919,.VV

JosiAH DAWSON; 

